Cam?, Damper?, Dist.?, etc., etc... start a basic engine timing check assuming nothing.
Before a lot of labor, check the easy stuff-- dwell, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, etc for problems. Run it at night or with the lights off to check for arcing from the wires. If the rotor and cap are not by the same manufacturer, they'll have problems (I know).
Pull all the plugs, it makes the engine easier to turn by hand, which is what I'm going to ask you to do.
Identify exactly when #1 cyl is at TDC. If you have a dail indicator, GREAT!, if not, you can get it pretty darn close. Turn the engine to where it's TDC on the balancer, make sure this is the compression stroke by looking at the Dist. Back it off 30 degrees or so. Stick a long shafted screw driver through the #1 plug opening to where it's standing as close to vertical, relative to the head, as possible. Bend a wire where it will stand on it's own. If you have a dail indicator situate it to measure the rise in the screwdrive(or shaft). Slowly rotate the crank towards TDC noticing, by sight or feel or dail, the screwdriver raising. AT the point it stops raising, STOP. Put a mark on the balancer. Repeat two more times to make sure you identify the same point, repeat as nesessary to get three good readings. Move the crank to 30 degrees past TDC, and repeat the process, only approaching TDC from the back side. Don't worry if the two marks don't coincide, they won't if you're going off your sight, but they will be close. TDC will be at the midpoint between your two marks.
Does your physically determined TDC coincide with the TDC on the balancer? If yes, the balancer is OK. If not, your balancer has most likely rotated on the rubber dampening ring, and your TDC mark sould be the basis for timing. Buy a timing tape and apply it to the dampner-- it's the easiest, longest lived way to mark the new timing marks; Make sure it's TDC aligns with YOUR marks.
A fairly stock motor should have an initial timing between 6 & 8 degrees BTDC. High performance cams may like it better at 12 BTDC; rarely, rarely will you need to go as high as 15 BTDC. If you have to go to 15, you may want to consider advancing the cam timing for street use.
If the dampner was OK, you can check the cam timing to verify whether it's off a tooth using the dail indicator positioned on the top of the rocker arm, above the push rod. Get the cam specs, and basically degree the cam to check it's operating according to spec. You'll need to have a timing tape on the harmonic to do this.
Verify these two things and call me in the morning... Tom's epistle for now.
